The terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but the 26-year-old former Detroit Lion is considered the top defensive end on the free agent market, so this is certainly not going to be a small contract.

Avril, a third-round pick in 2008, had 9.5 sacks last season, and 11 sacks in 2011. The Seahawks struggled last season to generate a pass rush with anyone other than Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin, and Clemons may not be ready for the start of the season because of a knee injury suffered in the playoffs, so getting better in that area was a must for Seattle. It just wasn’t a given that Seattle would be willing to spend big to upgrade its pass rush, especially after giving so much money to Harvin.